Sheffield News

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Boost for youth jobs

LEP Board Members Nigel Brewster and Sheffield Council Chief Executive John Mothersole with Nick Clegg to mark the launch the City Deal at Sheffield College last year

LEP Board Members Nigel Brewster and Sheffield Council Chief Executive John Mothersole with Nick Clegg to mark the launch the City Deal at Sheffield College last year

The Government yesterday announced a £5million cash injection for Sheffield City Region to help young people into jobs.

The investment is from a pot of Government cash given to England’s major cities to invest over the next three years, with the aim of helping more than 25,000 young people into jobs that last.

Nigel Brewster, LEP Board Member and Managing Director at Brewster Pratap Recruitment Consultants, said:

“Today’s announcement about £5m for skills training is as good news for business as it is for young people.

“The Sheffield City Region LEP is squarely focused on economic growth – and this innovative programme will help give our businesses the skills they need to grow.

“Business leaders, myself included, have been working closely with councils and education providers to build this very specific programme aimed at matching young people with the right skills to meet the future needs of Sheffield City Region’s business.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said:

“Helping young people succeed is crucial to our economic recovery. That is why I am pleased to announce a Government investment of £5 million for Sheffield to help get more young people into jobs.

“This is a multi-million pound cash boost for the Sheffield City Region to invest in its young people and the future prosperity of the city, making our society fairer so that everyone has the chance to get on in life.
“Investment like this, paired with a determination to tackle youth unemployment by our great cities, has the genuine power to change the fortunes of young people across the region, whether it’s with extra training, improving education, or apprenticeships.”

Sheffield City Region was one of eight core cities and twenty wave two cities invited to submit proposals earlier this year for a share of up to £50m. The people behind the proposal had to prove they will be able to deliver innovative schemes explicitly designed to tackle the problem of youth unemployment.

The £5m will be used to offer intensive advisor and mentor-led support for young people in Sheffield, alongside a specialist training programme aimed at equipping young people with the right skills to match local employers’ needs.

We covered the announcement in today’s Business Live radio programme, which also included an interview with Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Chairman, James Newman.  More details and a link to the podcast are here.

The investment is from a pot of Government cash given to England’s major cities to invest over the next three years, with the aim of helping more than 25,000 young people into jobs that last. – See more at: http://www.sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/2013/11/5m-boost-for-youth-jobs/#sthash.zhLBwecJ.dpuf

The investment is from a pot of Government cash given to England’s major cities to invest over the next three years, with the aim of helping more than 25,000 young people into jobs that last. – See more at: http://www.sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/2013/11/5m-boost-for-youth-jobs/#sthash.zhLBwecJ.dpuf
The investment is from a pot of Government cash given to England’s major cities to invest over the next three years, with the aim of helping more than 25,000 young people into jobs that last. – See more at: http://www.sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/2013/11/5m-boost-for-youth-jobs/#sthash.zhLBwecJ.dpuf

the Government has announced that Sheffield City Region will get a £5 million cash injection to help young people into jobs.

The investment is from a pot of Government cash given to England’s major cities to invest over the next three years, with the aim of helping more than 25,000 young people into jobs that last.

– See more at: http://www.sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/2013/11/5m-boost-for-youth-jobs/#sthash.zhLBwecJ.dpuf

the Government has announced that Sheffield City Region will get a £5 million cash injection to help young people into jobs.

The investment is from a pot of Government cash given to England’s major cities to invest over the next three years, with the aim of helping more than 25,000 young people into jobs that last.

– See more at: http://www.sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/2013/11/5m-boost-for-youth-jobs/#sthash.zhLBwecJ.dpuf

City Region’s Local Enterprise Partnership Chair interviewed on Sheffield Live

James Newman

James Newman

James Newman, Chairman of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Board Partnership, was interviewed on Sheffield Live’s Business Live show this morning.

The twenty minute interview, conducted by Paul Gregory in the Sheffield Live studios yesterday (14 November), covered the scope and scale of the Partnership. James is well-known across the City Region’s business community and his career spans more than 35 years, with senior roles in a large number of different industries including manufacturing, services and utilities.

James is a Yorkshireman born and bred with a career spanning more than 35 years, which includes senior roles with a large number of different industries including manufacturing, services and utilities. – See more at: http://www.sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/about/staff-profiles/#sthash.0h8Ij191.dpuf
James is a Yorkshireman born and bred with a career spanning more than 35 years, which includes senior roles with a large number of different industries including manufacturing, services and utilities. – See more at: http://www.sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/about/staff-profiles/#sthash.0h8Ij191.dpuf
James is a Yorkshireman born and bred with a career spanning more than 35 years, which includes senior roles with a large number of different industries including manufacturing, services and utilities. – See more at: http://www.sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/about/staff-profiles/#sthash.0h8Ij191.dpuf

The show also featured live studio guests Fiona Greaves and Johnny Reay talking about the Start Up Loans scheme – which encompasses business support too. Fiona ran through the practicalities of this scheme, which can offer loan finance – and vital mentoring / business support – to help entrepreneurs to launch businesses.

Today’s show came the the day after the announcement of a £5m cash injection to the City Region to help young people into jobs, and ahead of next week’s Global Entrepreneurship Week and Social Enterprise Day.

You can listen to (in your browser, and / or download) the podcast of the show here.

Our Business Live show broadcasts every Friday from 9am-10am.

Doc/Fest accepting film submissions for 2014

Sheffield Doc/Fest is now accepting film submissions for the 2014 programme.

If you are a new, established or student filmmaker with a great documentary to share, there is no better place to launch your film than at Sheffield Doc/Fest.

Doc/Fest accepts short, medium and feature length documentaries about any subject or on any theme; and also encourages new interactive documentary films to enter.

To enter, please visit the Doc/Fest website – where you can find the rules and regulations and the submission guidelines, and the online submission form.

Films with a duration over 30 minutes (with credits) are charged at £30 (+VAT) per entry. Films running at under 30 minutes (with credits) are £25 (+VAT) per entry.

Doc/Fest only accept films submissions on Vimeo.

Submissions are accepted until midnight (GMT), January 24th 2014.

Many new documentary films have launched from the Sheffield Doc/Fest world renowned programme including ‘The Flaw’ by David Sington, ‘We Are Poets’ by Alex Ramseyer-Bache and Daniel Luccessi, ‘Fire In the Blood’ by Dylan Mohan Gray.

If you have any questions please contact the Director of Programming, Hussain Currimbhoy.

Award-winning business leaders on Sheffield Live

Sheffield Live’s business programme, BusinessLive, heard yesterday from two award-winning business leaders who shared their experiences of growing and running businesses.

Jaqui Copley, managing director of the Elite Group, and Jay Bhayani, partner at Bhayani Bracewell, joined presenter Jamie Veitch. Both were fresh from attending Thursday evening’s Funny Business event at Sheffield City Hall, in which ten top personalities from Sheffield City Region organisations – including Jaqui – had performed a stand-up comedy routine to help fundraise for Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity’s Do Your Bit campaign. And Jaqui had even been crowned the winner of the best comedy routine at the event.

The show explored how Jaqui had grown the Elite Group from starting-up in 2002 as a home based business, through to recruiting staff, moving into business premises, and now turning over several hundred thousand pounds a year. Jaqui shared her insights and business tips for securing clients and sales, and how she’d dealt with challenges to grow her business – which distributes swimwear, lingerie and children’s clothes – to become the great success it is today.

And employment law expert Jay Bhayani, one of Sheffield’s leading employment lawyers, who has won accolades including recommendation in the legal 500, a Yorkshire Lawyer Employment Lawyer of the Year Award, and the ABDN Professional of the Year Award, joined the programme to talk through key policies and procedures that all businesses should have in place – and the pitfalls if they don’t. Jay discussed many aspects of employment law and HR practice, including directors’ service contracts, shareholder agreements, appropriate policies and procedures, and performance management in the workplace.

Download / listen to the podcast of the show here.

Eagles get the Owl(erton)

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Owlerton Greyhound Stadium is the new home to the Sheffield Eagles, it was announced today.

A two-year agreement sees the rugby league club returning to the venue where it first formed almost 30 years ago.

As part of the deal, the Eagles will play all home fixtures at Owlerton Stadium when the new Championship season kicks off in February 2014.

Sheffield Eagles staged their first ever fixture at Owlerton in September 1984 before leaving five years later following changes to crowd rules.

Ahead of the new season, improvements will be made to the pitch and changing rooms.

The move back to Owlerton, which has a capacity of 6,000, has been supported by Sheffield City Council and backed by the Rugby Football League – the governing body for rugby league in the UK. It follows the closure of the Eagles’ former home, Don Valley Stadium.

Mark Aston, the Head Coach and Chief Executive of the Sheffield Eagles, said: “It’s fantastic that we can announce that we are heading back to Owlerton for at least the next two years.

“We have always undertaken excellent community work within the city of which we are immensely proud and the agreements that we are making allow us to remain within the city, at a great stadium and able to continue our award winning efforts within the community.

“Owlerton has undergone major refurbishments over the past few years and I’m sure all our loyal fans will continue to support us as we aim to once again defend our Championship title.”

John Gilburn, managing director of Owlerton Stadium, said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming the Eagles back home to Owlerton – the place where it all started for the club almost 30 years ago. It is fantastic that we have been able to help the club stay in Sheffield and we look forward to working in partnership to help the Eagles realise their Super League ambitions.”

The Eagles’ first team training sessions and youth matches will continue to take place at Sheffield Hallam University’s sports complex, on Bawtry Road.

Ian Swire, chairman of the Sheffield Eagles, said: “I’d like to thank Sheffield City Council, the Rugby Football League and Owlerton Stadium for their excellent support, ensuring our smooth transition back to our original home at Owlerton Stadium and ensuring that our community work continues within the city.

“Their assistance has crucially ensured we are able to remain in the city of Sheffield which has been our primary objective since the announcement of the closure of Don Valley Stadium. We are all highly impressed with the huge improvements in facilities at Owlerton Stadium since we left there in 1989 to move to Don Valley Stadium and I’m sure all of our spectators, old and new, will enjoy the amenities that the stadium has to offer.

“We intend to play our fixtures on Sunday afternoons and look forward to creating a fantastic experience utilising the varied dining opportunities in the restaurants at the stadium to complement the superb entertainment supplied by the back to back Champions on the field.”

Your old computer could help save lives

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[Computers 4 Africa are currently advertising on Sheffield Live!] Computers 4 Africa supply unwanted IT equipment to schools, libraries and community projects right across Africa. Working computers that are under 8 years old can change lives. Computers 4 Africa opens the door to IT education for millions of children. IT has revolutionised schools globally with unequalled access to information, interactive teaching and key work skills. A single recycled PC or recycled laptop can impact 24 children’s lives during its first year, offering new hope to break out of the poverty cycle. Your old working IT kit can make this difference. Computers 4 Africa collects redundant IT, which is refurbished and data-wiped before being sent out to African schools, colleges, and community projects. Computers 4 Africa promotes reuse not just recycling, which is greener for the environment and produces better quality equipment with a longer service life. You can bring your old PCs and IT equipment to Computers 4 Africa on Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th November at Unit 17 (the former Comet store), Drakehouse Retail Park, Sheffield, S20 7JJ Visit www.computers4africa.org.uk or telephone 03000 112 233 Computers 4 Africa is a Working Name of Digital Pipeline, a registered charity in England and Wales (1118674) SC043181 In Scotland.

Business and the green economy

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This morning’s episode of Sheffield Live’s business programme, BusinessLive, featured two Sheffield businesses active and trading in the green economy and a topical debate about energy and insulation. Both of the businesses featured have a strong commitment to environmental sustainability – and demonstrated the economic argument for doing so, too.

Green Directions’ Mark Woodward discussed the process of turning his farm from a location dependent on expensive oil heating to a renewable “powerhouse” – with wind and solar generated electricity, a ground heat pump, and upgraded insulation. Green Directions is a thriving conference venue and Mark offered some sage business advice too.

And David Sorsby of LiveLight – a social enterprise launched in January this year – discussed how his business can help its members save money and reduce their environmental impact; and the lessons he’s learned in getting the business off the ground.

You can download or listen to the podcast of today’s show here.

Skaters bring home 10 medals for 10th birthday

Katie Powell, who won senior ladies gold at the Deeside IJS

Katie Powell, who won senior ladies gold at the Deeside IJS

Sheffield skaters helped the city’s state-of-the-art ice rink to celebrate its 10th birthday by winning 10 medals at the 2013 British Championships qualifying event.

At the Deeside IJS, iceSheffield won six gold, three silver and one bronze medal and qualified a record number of skaters for the British Championships in November 2013.

Gold medals were secured by Katie Powell in the senior ladies category, Paul Dredge and Charlotte Dyson, who won the junior dance event and brother and sister, Mia and Henry Drury, who were crowned advanced novice pairs champions.

Lizzie Key and Emile Betts-Dawson also won gold in the advanced novice dance, while Abbey Wrobel and Perry Bradford also placed first in pairs.

iceSheffield, which is preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary with a spectacular skating gala later this month, also skated away with three silver medals.

These were won by Emily Hayward for junior ladies, Eleanor Hirst and Jake Featherstone in junior dance and Summer Herbert and Pierce Fitzgerald.

Dawn Peckett, coach at iceSheffield, said: “This is a fantastic achievement. We’ve qualified the highest number of British Championship entries in the history of iceSheffield and it’s a great way to celebrate 10 years of an amazing venue.

“When the British Championships return to our venue next month, iceSheffield will be represented in every discipline from novice to senior ladies and men to advanced novice and junior pairs and novice and junior dance.

“What makes this success even more rewarding is that most of the novice and junior skaters came from our Learn to Skate programme. It shows the progression that can be made with the right facilities and coaching.”

Adding to the Sheffield International Venues (SIV) facility’s success, Peter James Hallam achieved a personal best score of 152 at the Junior Grand prix in Minsk.

He finished a creditable 7th out of 21 skaters from across the globe and placed above competitors from USA, Russia and China.

Seventeen-year-old PJ is now preparing to represent GB at his second Grand Prix in Latvia after the British Championships at iceSheffield from 26-30 November 2013.

PJ, from Wincobank, who is also appearing in iceSheffield’s birthday gala, said: “I’m so grateful to iceSheffield and really pleased to be helping celebrate its 10th birthday. The gala is going to be an amazing showcase of talent.

“I started skating as a complete novice on the Learn to Skate lesson programme when I was eight years old and now I’m representing Team GB at international competitions. It’s a dream come true.”

What next?

  • iceSheffield’s skating gala, starring Dancing On Ice professional Mark Hanretty will, take place on Saturday 26 October.

BusinessLive: crowdfunding, finance, and energy

This morning’s episode of Sheffield Live’s business programme, BusinessLive, covered access to finance for business startup and growth; crowdfunding; social media marketing; and nuclear and renewable energy.

Presenter Jamie Veitch was joined by:

•    Joan Binns, a business advisor in the Sheffield Enterprise Programme
•    Phil Shankland, Grand Master at TinAmps, who has partially funded his business expansion through a crowdfunding campaign (alongide traditional, and his own, finance)
•    Barry James, founder and editor at The Crowdfunding Centre
•    John Mounsey, expert in social media marketing (and much more), of Mounsey Web Consultancy

The show also featured Richard Wright, chief executive of the Sheffield Chamber, talking about whether the investment in nuclear reactors announced this week will be good for British – and Sheffield – businesses; Sheffield’s renewable energy and engineering expertise; and the latest growth figures.